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The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary
- viksit 3y agocurious how or why australia doesn’t feature in this given their extensive unpopulated outback seems relevant.
- hiddencost 3y agoSanctuary means protected by law or regulation
- souenzzo 3y agoand are there laws in the USA?
- tracerbulletx 3y agoThat's literally what the article is about.
- srvmshr 3y agoBut has it been passed by the State congress as a law/regulation? Curious to learn more. The article does not tell more than this snippet > The designation was given by DarkSky International, an organization dedicated to protecting the nighttime environment and preserving dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. The project is the work of the Oregon Dark Sky Network, an ad-hoc group of state, local and federal officials, private individuals, business owners and tourism agencies. If only a nonprofit is claiming it, unless they purchased the land, this isn't legally enforceable without a heavy-handed backing of state government. Such protections have to get cemented by some legislation as the next step.
- luxuryballs 3y agoIt will surely be the best place to watch the complete Starlink infinity grid perforate the night sky fully in all directions with a perfectly aligned quilt of dots.
- deadbabe 3y agoWhen is this expected to happen?
- chroma 3y agoProbably never because every generation of Starlink satellite has been dimmer than the last. Despite being significantly bigger, the v2 minis are only 19% as bright as the original satellites.
- hedora 3y agoHonestly, I can see why astronomers are pissed (they need to use software to delete satellite streaks from long exposures), but they really aren’t particularly visible except at dusk and dawn. They reflect the sun as they rise/set on the horizon, but that’s about it. I live in an area where we can just barely still see the milky way, but light pollution is encroaching steadily. The main problem is all the empty office buildings decided they need to leave their lights on 24/7. (Check out a light pollution map of Silicon Valley to see which megacorps are the worst offenders). LED lights are probably a bigger problem though. They’re free to run, so people leave them on all night. Global light pollution has been growing exponentially in the last decade (faster than the population).
- porphyra 3y ago> LED lights are probably a bigger problem though Yeah white lights can't be filtered out whereas sodium vapor lamps' narrow emission spectrum can be easily blocked by special filters.
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- ldayley 3y agoThe skies there are brilliant! But that also means it is one of the most remote areas of the US. There is very little but high desert and ramshackle cattle ranches in all directions. There is a reason that they named this county “Malheur” (it’s the French word for ‘misfortune’). I drive through a part of this area every couple of months and it’s agonizing, but on the rare occasion that I’m solo and driving it at night I always make time to stop, turn the lights off, and look up.
- msisk6 3y agoA few years back I camped out on the Alvord Playa in this part of Oregon on a clear, moonless, summer night: it was spectacular! I've been to quite a few remote dark sky sites, but this place was something else. Later that night a storm rolled in and I had to get off the Playa due to the strong winds and blowing sand and dust. I ended up sleeping in my Jeep next to a power substation since I only had a half tank of gas and that wasn't enough to get me to the nearest open gas station. At this time in Oregon even the rural gas stations were full service only so I had to wait until morning when the store at Fields Station opened up and I could gas up and get back home. It was a memorable trip.
- bb88 3y agoYes, I've been out there. I absolutely agree it's amazing.
- michelpp 3y agoWas Alvord hot springs not open? I know they've been hit or miss over the years. It's pretty primitive, basically a hole dynamited into the ground but the water is amazing and it's usually never busy. They also have a great access road to the playa.
- msisk6 3y agoYeah, it was open but I didn't take the time for a soak. This was during the week in late summer and there was no one around at the time.
- rrix2 3y agoI've been looking forward to going out there this summer. The guy who sold me my subie told me about camping out there with the subie and a full spare gas can to get back to a gas station
- whatindaheck 3y agoAhhh I was about to post the same. I had never been in a landscape like that. It’s really mind-bending being out on the playa at night. Oregon is such a beautiful state.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- __mharrison__ 3y agoWhat about North Korea?
- tenlp 3y agoI've been there once. It's hard to move around at night without lights (unless there's a power outage)
- sparker72678 3y agoThe progress Dark Sky International (and friends) has made is very encouraging. I have been extremely pessimistic about the dark sky movement making progress at all given how desperately fearful of any darkness the areas around me seem to be (daylight-bright streetlights, storefront signs to rival Vegas, etc.) Truly dark skies are magical. I'm so glad they'll be around at least a bit longer.
- car 3y agoWhat about the (happy) isles of Oceania? The night skies there are nigh unreal. I've never seen the milky way like that before.
- elliottkember 3y agoKiwi here; we try not to advertise it too much because tourism will ruin things
- pugworthy 3y agoGotta be careful it doesn't become a force of hobbit.
- grecy 3y agoI drove across the Simpson Desert in Central Australia. 600km of absolutely nothing. No buildings, no water, just two sandy tire tracks through the desert [1]. The stars were utterly breathtaking, the milky way was so bright it kept me awake at night in my swag (ground tent). I took this photo as a single 8s exposure on just a sony A7iii [2]. Then a few months later I drove the Canning Stock Route, the world's most remote road [3]. In 1,050 miles over 10 days I never saw another vehicle or person on the track. I went into one aboriginal community to buy gas, it was the only "lightbulb" I saw in ten days. I have not really looked it up, but I suspect I was about as far from a lightbulb as you can drive to on planet earth, and the stars every night were utterly incredible. I stayed up way later than I should have night after night trying to take it all in. The Canning is in Western Australia, a state that is approaching twice as big as Alaska.[4] Dark skies are awesome! [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJKXDdrvcI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJKXDdrvcI [2] https://www.instagram.com/p/CersLuLBfCz/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CersLuLBfCz/ [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UR6agkRbT4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UR6agkRbT4 [4] http://www.comparea.org/AU_WA+US_AK http://www.comparea.org/AU_WA+US_AK
- Arrath 3y agoIncredible picture!
- defrost 3y agoA 2.5 million-acre swath of southern Oregon has been named the largest Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world. It's smaller than the inner 70 km radius of the Murchison Quiet Zone which is 15,394 sq km or 3.8 million acres. The Radio Quiet Zone, centred on Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, comprises: * A 70km radius Inner Zone; other radiocommunications services within the Inner Zone are taken to be secondary services in relation to radio astronomy; and * An Outer Zone from a 70km to 150km radius; and * Coordination zones from 70km up to 260km radius (depending on frequency). https://www.atnf.csiro.au/projects/askap/ARQZWA.html https://www.atnf.csiro.au/projects/askap/ARQZWA.html Given the absence of townsites and infrastructure (aside from unmanned radio telescopes and cosmic microwave detectors, etc) it is pretty "dark" at night (aside from the overwhelming glare of the milky way in the southern hemisphere) - it's just not an "official Dark Sky Sanctuary". For those interested: a global Light Pollution Map https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/ https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/
- srvmshr 3y agoUnless I am missing the distinction, Oregon outback us being protected as a sanctuary whereas Central Australia, Kazakhstan plains, Hokkaido in Japan etc. are larger but without any guarantees of dark sky protection (?). Please correct me if this understanding is wrong, because I saw some other HNers raising this point.
- BurningFrog 3y agoAlso the 70% of Earth that is ocean.
- starkparker 3y agoNice job representing HN's large dolphin and whale audience.
- lettergram 3y agoHaving been to the boundary waters a few times - I can saw the sky is absolutely amazing at night. I wouldn’t give up artificial light for a second, but everyone should experience the night sky as our ancestors saw it
- sdwr 3y agoWhat does the Sanctuary part mean? Are there increased light restrictions, or is it mostly a "put a name on what's already happening"-type thing?
- srvmshr 3y agoAs far as I understand reading the article (and some Wiki pages around it), it seems to be a consortium of people trying to protect the dark night sky. However, this article hasn't made it clear if the 'sanctuary' implies it has got NPS or State's protection in reaching that objective. The sanctuary is a term which was introduced in the last decade, and with loose subjective definition > Sanctuaries are the most remote (and often darkest) places in the world whose conservation state is most fragile. > In 2015, the IDA introduced the term "Dark Sky Sanctuary" and designated the Elqui Valley of northern Chile as the world's first International Dark Sky Sanctuary. There are legally protected zones like mentioned in [1], but seem to cover smaller patches of area. But how is a sanctuary protected by legal enforceable measures isn't described in the same spirit. Probably this is something area experts & conservationists know better. The verbiage is at best a tad confusing IMHO. While places like Central Australia or South NZ is remote, Oregon outback is much more accessible. I'd wager Star valley is on similar league of being pristine and yet more remote being in WY. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-sky_preserve https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-sky_preserve
- tejtm 3y agoA plug here for the Oregon Star Party if you want to experience what these dark skies are about. You are at about 5,000 feet in the Ochoco National Forest. It keeps getting pushed earlier in the summer trying to get in before the western North America fire season is in full swing. which is sub-optimal for long nights, but the high desert flowers make up for allot. Only affiliation is I been going for a couple of decades. https://oregonstarparty.org/ https://oregonstarparty.org/
- chrisweekly 3y agoRelated tangent: last summer I got the chance to spend a week at Medawisla -- the Appalachian Mountain Club -managed lodge and cabin and dark sky park in Maine, on the edge of 100-Mile Wilderness. Highest possible recommendation.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- ivanjermakov 3y agoI think those are called dark-sky preserves? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-sky_preserve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-sky_preserve
- bmitc 3y agoI can't imagine what the stars used to look like. It must have been amazing.
- wskish 3y agoTo fully experience the night sky there is no substitute for getting up to altitude. Most of the atmosphere that really interferes with the view is way down low. Try a moonless night at 8000 to 11000 feet elevation in the eastern Sierra or Yosemite high country to really blow your mind. Boss level is a summit bivy during a new moon meteor shower with a close friend or lover.
- davidw 3y agoSee my post elsewhere here about Pine Mountain Observatory. It's not quite that high, but they have telescopes and knowledgeable staff to explain what you're looking at.
- oregoncurtis 3y agoSteens Mountain summit is at 9,738′ and is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the darkest region. It's pretty awesome up there.
- davidw 3y agoWell that's kind of cool to log in and see on HN. This is right next door to where I live in Bend. A few suggestions in that part of Oregon: * Close to Bend, you can visit the Pine Mountain Observatory, which is open to the public in the summer. https://pmo.uoregon.edu/visiting/ https://pmo.uoregon.edu/visiting/ - at 6000 feet, and far from anything, the views of the night sky even without telescopes are amazing. And the staff there point the scopes at interesting sights and explain what they are. * Further out, Steens mountain and that area is incredible. It's one of the most remote parts of the US outside of Alaska. * The Christmas Valley area has a lot of interesting things like Fort Rock, Crack-in-the-Ground, Hole-in-the-Ground and the sand dunes.
- RandallBrown 3y agoIf you haven't been, the "Hopservatory" at Worthy Brewing is also really cool to check out.
- davidw 3y agoI've been there a number of times, but not to the observatory thing. Roger's a cool guy and does a lot of good things here in Bend.
- ldayley 3y agoI nearly edited my comment below to add a mention of Pine Mountain but selfishly (…yes I’m sorry) wanted to keep it obscure in the hope that it’d be less crowded when I visit it myself periodically. If I’m going be less selfish, I should probably mention that my next favorite stargazing spots are Star Valley, WY (yes, named for the celestial views); the high mountain plateaus (8,000-10,000ft+ altitude) between Bozeman, MT and Red Lodge, MT; and Central Idaho (Sawtooth or White Cloud Ranges). I haven’t made it to Steens yet, thanks for the prompt ;) Happy Stargazing!
- waynecochran 3y agoI grew up in Bend. I had stayed up all night with grad students running the place… they would point their large telescopes at whatever we wanted to see. I have never seen the Milky Way like that before. You are on a mt in the desert in the middle of nowhere.
- porphyra 3y agoJust curious, how does one get to the middle of the Dark Sky Sanctuary to do some astronomy stuff without driving a car and ruining everyone's astronomy with the headlights?
- xrd 3y agoI didn't read all the comments so perhaps this is already answered? I'm curious why this is the largest when you've got massive land areas in the Midwest where very few people live. As an Oregonian I'm both proud and surprised. Nice work to all involved.
- michelpp 3y agoThe midwest can definitely get dark, but the "seeing" isn't as good as the oregon outback for a few reasons, 1) elevation, most of eastern oregon is above 1200m, steens mountain is almost 3000m. 2) climate, the midwest can be very humid and hazy, whereas the high desert is very arid and clear, 3) obscuration, eastern oregon is covered in mountain ranges with dry basins in between (hence "basin and range" name), and you only have to go over one range from any kind of town to have its light totally blocked.
- basiccalendar74 3y agoa similar blocking effect happens in Joshua Tree. Very clear skies even though LA is not far away.
- xrd 3y agoThis is terrific. Thanks so much. Can you elaborate on why the elevation matters? I mean, a few thousand feet isn't going to make up the distance between the earth and the star providing the light. ;)
- defrost 3y agoLess atmosphere (the closer to the ground, the denser the air), above the clouds means no difraction, etc. through water. Dry near zero humidity desert locations also have spectactular night views.
- shmageggy 3y agoThe organization that grants these titles, DarkSky International, bases them more on local policy towards light pollution rather than the absolute magnitude of darkness. It's more about whether the local municipality has committed to good lighting ordinances etc.
- RHSman2 3y agoI’m lucky enough to live somewhere that gives me regular, clear and dark views of the cosmos. I think it changes you as a human.
- scraplab 3y agoKielder Forest in the north of England is another spot that’s got Dark Sky status[1]. We stayed in a place with an A frame roof that opens into a V shape so you can lie in bed and watch the stars, which was pretty great[2]. [1]: https://www.visitkielder.com/play/discover/dark-skies https://www.visitkielder.com/play/discover/dark-skies [2]: https://www.visitkielder.com/play/discover/skyden https://www.visitkielder.com/play/discover/skyden
- maCDzP 3y agoI went hiking in Yosemite/John Muir for a week. The night sky was something I hadn’t experienced before. I didn’t bring a tent so I slept under the night sky. I remember waking up and thinking “aha, that’s why it’s called the Milky Way”.
- pnw_throwaway 3y ago[flagged]
- voidmain0001 3y agoOregon is beautiful. For the Canadian “east is least” crowd there’s the Torrance barrens dark sky park 2 hours north of Toronto with impressive night skies. But, like every attraction around the GTA it gets very crowded and many don’t respect the code of darkness which has lead to same nasty verbal fights. https://www.torrancebarrens.com/dark-sky https://www.torrancebarrens.com/dark-sky
- sensanaty 3y agoI would recommend anyone who has the means to, to go to Raja Ampat near Papua, specifically by boat. You're in the middle of open water in Indonesian seas with nothing around you for quite a while, and the amount of stars you can see in the night sky is simply mindblowing. We didn't even need lights turned on to navigate around the ship/islands, it was crazy to witness
- Ductapemaster 3y agoMy dad said the stars in Raja Ampat were incredible — he was on a dive trip there, and was really out in the middle of nowhere at night on a boat. My girlfriend and I had a similar experience at Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii. We went to see some of the active lava flows a couple years ago. The park is open 24/7, so one night around midnight we took a walk on the side of the caldera where all you can see is the lava glow (and had no people) and the view of the sky was absolutely spectacular. The Milky Way just smacks you in the face. There’s a reason why they built telescopes on Mouna Kea!
- quinncom 3y agoIf you’re wondering where this is, here’s a website with map (also PDF version): https://www.southernoregon.org/dark-skies/oregon-outback-dark-sky-sanctuary/ https://www.southernoregon.org/dark-skies/oregon-outback-dar...